Friday, December 22, 2017

I might as well “out” myself before someone else does it. Here goes.I am a thespian.We all have our hobbies, right? Mahjong,
scrimshaw, bowling, skeet shooting, polo (OK, I only know one guy who
does that), taxidermy, salsa dancing, accordion lessons, cooking,
bobsledding, labradoodle breeding. Mine’s acting. Theater mostly, some
film…nothing you’ve seen trust me, but got four IMDB credits to my
name. (One’s a zombie film!) Being a semi-ok singer I often enjoy
doing musical theater (don’t judge!). Friend, you haven’t lived until
you’ve been in full Frankenstein’s Monster makeup and five-inch platform
boots doing “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in “Young Frankenstein, The Musical”
or in a white Homburg packin’ fake prop gun “heat” as Big Jule in “Guys
‘n Dolls.” It’s a wonderful world of creative folk who never fail in
recharging my battery. In fact, here’s my plug: try going to a local
theater production next time instead of a movie and I bet you’ll be
surprised at how much you enjoy it. Continue Reading

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Many sides have weighed in on Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s draft “Open Internet Preservation Act,”
introduced this week. The measure is meant to replace some of the 2015
Net Neutrality rules the FCC just repealed when the internet was
re-classified as a utility. The issue pertains to towers because
internet providers like Verizon and AT&T use cell towers to deliver
internet access to consumers over wireless networks.

Blackburn, chair of the House
Communications and Technology Subcommittee, said the measure “will
ensure the internet is an open and free space” with “light-touch
regulation.” It prohibits providers from blocking or slowing down some
internet content. If passed, she said in her announcement, companies
“can invest and innovate, and make sure our internet is up to 21st century standards.” It also includes the same ISP disclosure provisions the FCC passed.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) said the measure “kicks off this important
conversation, and lays the groundwork for Congress to enact broadly
bipartisan principles that will preserve the dynamic internet ecosystem
that has driven so much growth and innovation over the last two decades.
I hope our Democratic colleagues will rethink their public strategy to
‘litigate not legislate’ as we begin this serious legislative effort.” Continue Reading

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

President Donald Trump’s administration sees securing telecommunications and 5G as a national priority. The White HouseNational Security Strategy
released this week highlights the need for next-generation 5G to
maintain U.S. competitiveness. These types of congressionally-mandated
reports set-up future policy actions and are meant to send a signal
throughout government about how a topic should be treated, reports TechCrunch.

“We will improve America’s digital
infrastructure by deploying a secure 5G internet capability nationwide.
These improvements will increase national competitiveness, benefit the
environment, and improve our quality of life,” the government states in
the document. Other than natural gas, 5G wireless service was the only
technology area to be specified.

Industry associations like CTIA
cheered. “We are locked in a race with countries such as China and
Russia to be the first to deploy 5G,” said CTIA President/CEO Meredith
Attwell Baker.
“To win this race we need government to make more spectrum available to
industry and modernize the rules governing the deployment of wireless
infrastructure.” Continue Reading

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Firefighters in California now believe
they have turned the tide in containing the Thomas fire, which has
burned for two weeks. The wildfire broke out December 4, near Santa Paula and has now blackened 270,500 acres, making it the third largest in California history, reported Noozhawk.But earlier fires in Sonoma County in October still cause officials concern. The
emergency alert system, SoCo Alert, failed to connect with 54 percent
of telephone numbers in the government database, reported The Press Democrat.
That means over half of the alert messaging didn’t get through to the
public, with many people’s first warning coming from neighbors.

According to Chris Helgren, the
county’s emergency services manager, the system was hindered by damaged
cell phone towers and burned utility lines. “During disasters, it’s not
uncommon to have lower success rates,” he said. “You’re not going to
have the same kind of numbers you would when the system is whole.” Continue Reading

Monday, December 18, 2017

Opponents vowed to challenge the FCC’s
repeal of Net Neutrality in court. New York State Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman was the first to step up, Inside Towersreported.
He’s leading a multi-state effort. That includes Washington State,
where AG Bob Ferguson announced he’s filing for a legal review “in the
coming days.”

ArsTechnica
reports Oregon, Illinois, Iowa and Massachusetts will join the effort
as well. Attorney Generals from 19 states previously asked the FCC to
delay the vote over concerns about fraudulent comments filed in the
public record on the issue.

One California state senator proposed a state Net Neutrality law. “California
can regulate business practices to require net neutrality, condition
state contracts on adhering to net neutrality, and require net
neutrality as part of cable franchise agreements, as a condition to
using the public right-of-way for internet infrastructure, and in
broadband packages,” wroteState Sen. Scott Wiener (D) in a piece on Medium. He intends to draft the bill over the next 60 days. Continue Reading

Thursday, December 14, 2017

AT&T
says the nationwide public safety broadband network FirstNet now
features “ruthless preemption” services for first responder subscribers.
It’s for states and territories that have opted into their AT&T
state plan for the communications network for first responders.

Priority moves first responders to the front of the “communications line,” expediting their network needs.
When the line becomes crowded, it shifts non-emergency traffic to
another line, freeing up space for first responders to easily get
through. Calls or texts to 911 will never be shifted from the network.

“As a first responder on 9/11, I
experienced the communications challenges that can happen in large
emergencies as networks become congested and overwhelmed,” said Fairfax
County Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Bowers. Virginia was the first
state in to opt-in. “Now, with the launch of preemption on FirstNet, for
the first time, public safety is ensured a ‘fast lane’ to connect.” Continue Reading

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

The Thomas Fire burns in the hills north of the Carpinteria Valley Monday (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo) Click here for an interactive map of evacuation areas
in Santa Barbara County. Seventy strike teams with fire engines are
battling the fire with help from 10 dozers staffed with 30 personnel,
eight hand crews with 160 personnel, 28 helicopters, six water tenders
with 12 personnel, four fixed winged tankers and two VLATs, known as a
747 or very large air tanker.

With more fires moving faster than
ever before in California, authorities are issuing more evacuation
orders, earlier. And that’s placed a spotlight on emergency alert
systems, which are controlled by local authorities, according to KPCC Radio.

Hours before the Thomas Fire hit
Ventura County last Monday, the head of the California Office of
Emergency Services told state legislators that he wants to standardize
how and when authorities issue evacuation orders. Pointing
to the deadly October fires in Northern California, he said notifying
people to get out of the way of fast-moving flames is more critical than
ever, KPCC reported.“The events we’re seeing in California
today are very complex, and the scale, scope and size are a tremendous
challenge to us,” stated OES Director Mark Ghilarducci. He said Governor
Brown plans to ask state lawmakers to provide more money to improve
alert systems, which have evolved dramatically over the years. Continue Reading

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The FCC ordered Blanca Telephone
Company to re-pay more than $6 million to the Universal Service Fund,
which supports the deployment of communications networks in high-cost,
rural areas. The eastern Colorado carrier became
eligible in 1997 to receive high-cost support for providing local
exchange telephone service in parts of Alamosa and Costilla counties.
Blanca offered commercial mobile radio service (CMRS), a non-regulated
service, both within and outside of its area. Blanca
included the costs of this non-regulated service in the regulated cost
accounts it submitted to the National Exchange Carriers Association
(NECA), inflating the amount of high-cost support Blanca received from
the USF.

In 2012, NECA discovered Blanca’s
inflation and told the carrier to correct its accounting, and more,
importantly, to re-pay $6,748,280 in improperly paid USF support for
2005-2010. Blanca argued to the FCC it was entitled to the money to
deploy wireless service because wireless is a USF supported service. The
Commission called that “erroneous” in its decision released yesterday. Continue Reading

Friday, December 8, 2017

Rincon Peak
is known for transmitting many things in Southern California but heat
is not one of them. As of Thursday, Santa Barbara County firefighters
were trying to keep that temperature to a minimum. The antenna farm on
Rincon Peak, shared by most public safety agencies is home to several
towercos, Crown, American and to Verizon (ASR#1215063).

An army of firefighters was battling
on several fronts Thursday in their efforts to tame the giant
96,000-acre “Thomas Fire,” as it is called, scorching the Carpinteria
Valley, according to Noozhawk.
The citizens of Carpinteria were evacuated in the early morning hours
yesterday as flames continued to approach from the east. The fire has
menaced the community as it has much of Ventura County over the last two days, Noozhawk reported. Continue Reading

Monday, December 4, 2017

Before 5G has even been launched, it’s
projected that hot, sunny weather could degrade cellular transmissions
by more than 15 percent, which is troublesome in climates with
consistently scorching weather. According to Phys Org, an engineer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University says research will provide solutions to this predicted challenge.

Ahmed Sulyman, associate professor in
Embry-Riddle’s Prescott, Department of Computer, Electrical, &
Software Engineering, teamed up with colleagues in Saudi Arabia to
publish the first comprehensive analysis of solar radio emissions on
land-based wireless communications systems to determine how solar
radiation can affect 5G. Continue Reading

Friday, December 1, 2017

Verizon
Communications announced it will launch wireless residential broadband
services in at least three and up to five U.S. markets in 2018.
Verizon’s first commercial launch is planned for Sacramento, CA, in the
second half of 2018. Details will be forthcoming, according to the
carrier.

Verizon trialed 5G residential applications in 11 markets this year.
The commercial launch is based on customer experience and on the
carrier’s confidence in new technology using millimeter-wave spectrum.
The carrier estimates the initial 5G market opportunity for residential
broadband at 30 million households nationwide. Continue Reading

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